"On my part, I remain committed to the process of dialogue. It is my firm belief that dialogue and a willingness to look with honesty and clarity at the reality of Tibet can lead us to a viable solution."

EDITORIAL: Propaganda overshadows Dalai Lama

September 4, 2009

Taipei Times Friday, Sep 04, 2009

The Dalai Lama is scheduled to leave today following a six-day visit
comforting victims of Typhoon Morakot. The trip has provided a timely
reminder of the increasing sway Beijing holds over many things, from the way
the international media reports on certain subjects to Taiwanese politics
and politicians.

One of the clearest examples of the former was the disproportionate amount
of coverage given to a token number of pro-unification protesters who have
followed the Nobel peace laureate.

Any neutral person watching or reading these reports from abroad may have
received the impression that pro-China views are in the ascendancy in
Taiwan, yet polls show that support for unification is less popular than
even independence, at about 7 percent or 8 percent.

While this kind of trashy, low-cost reportage is understandable from certain
sections of the domestic media, such protests would receive little or no
attention in other countries. The activities of this rag-tag bunch received
far more coverage than they deserved. One would expect the international
press to do a better job.

While many international media groups reported on the protests, almost all
neglected to mention the mandatory subtext to the story: Many of the
demonstrations had been organized by a fugitive pro-unification gangster on
the lam in China who once cooperated with the Chinese Nationalist Party
(KMT) government to eliminate dissidents.

Time magazine even went so far as to describe the protests as "Taiwan's
raucous democracy," a statement that deserves extensive qualification.

Taiwan's relationship with China is an important issue that attracts news
editors around the globe because of the dramatic headlines it provides, but
editors shouldn't let a good story get in the way of the truth. Some facts
about the background of these protesters would have provided readers with a
balanced story.

We also look forward to the day that the international press stops framing
the Taiwan issue in Beijing's terms.

Another inconvenient truth revealed by the visit is just how much the KMT
and its politicians are in the pocket of Beijing. Not one KMT official or
politician had the courage to meet the Dalai Lama - an all-too clear
demonstration of where the party's loyalties lie.

These elected representatives pandered to Beijing's whims by shunning a
figure idolized by the majority of the people he represents.

How the KMT can continue to claim to represent Taiwan when its first
reaction on domestic issues is to solicit China's advice is beyond
comprehension.

But it's not all bad news. One thing we can be thankful for, even in the
face of reams of pro-China propaganda and falsehoods in the pro-unification
media, is that the majority of Taiwanese are still able to recognize the
Dalai Lama for what he is: a peace-loving religious leader who has been
demonized by a malevolent, authoritarian power.

Who knows? Perhaps this clarity of judgment may soon extend to the KMT
itself.